Gottfried Pott – A Look into the World of Calligraphy

My hair stands on end when I see how the pen is dipped into the ink all the way up to the penholder. You cannot work neatly like that. But what is even more important is that a clean edge and a controlled flow of color is impossible this way. The ink surrounds the tip of the nib all the way around. Even after striking it off, a clean stroke cannot be achieved. Only a brush will help you in controlling the ink during the filling of the pen. It is just a matter of habit to hold the penholder in the right and the brush for filling the pen in the left hand; it should simply become second nature. The filling of the upper and lower reservoir, as for example in the round nib, assures a good flow during writing when pressure is applied or decreased. This is very important for a stroke which is rich in modulation. Even if there is no upper or lower reservoir, it is recommended to fill the top of the pen by running the brush across it. And do not forget: start the pen on a scrap piece of the paper you are working on. This helps in obtaining sharper contours. It also helps, incidentally, to put several pieces of paper underneath the sheet you are working on. This way the writing surface has more elasticity and feels more “giving.” And here another little trick: in order to augment the sharpness of the broad nib, the top side of the writing edge should be slightly sharpened with very fine wet sandpaper or with an Arkansas stone. It goes without saying that the pen should be cleaned after use. It requires little effort when it is done immediately and is the best guarantee for years of good usage.